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Got a Cracked Screen? 5 Best Smartphone Screen Repair Options

A cracked smartphone screen can ruin your day, and if you don’t have the right repair options it could ruin your month.

Replacing an iPhone or Android in the middle of a contract or a payment plan is expensive, and with trade-in offers there is less chance that you have a spare phone to rely on.

We’ll walk through the options you can use to fix your broken iPhone screen or broken Android screen. There are a variety of ways you can fix your broken screen and options to look for help. If your just looking for a pro check out local Cell Phone Repair Shops

If you drop your iPhone or Android without a case you may end up looking for a solution. Cases can help, but the odds are good that if you are reading this you are looking for a solution for a screen you already cracked.

Here are the options you should consider using to fix your broken smartphone screen without breaking the bank.

You don’t need to go buy a new iPhone for $650 or pay full price for a new Android phone out-of-pocket to fix your device. You can get a temporary fix for a few dollars and there are great options that cost $100-$200. If you have a warranty you can pay as little as $29 for a replacement iPhone screen and some cell phone stores even offer same day repairs.

1. Contact the Manufacturer

Before you attempt any DIY screen repair options you should check with the company that made your phone.

Apple offers AppleCare+ if you buy within 60 days of buying a new device. This is $99 to $129 depending on your iPhone and there is a deductible for accidental damage. You are supposed to buy this before your iPhone screen breaks, but we’ve seen Apple Geniuses allow users to buy this plan with a broken screen and then get a replacement. We’ve also seen the occasional free repair, but that depends on a lot of factors lining up in your favor. If you have AppleCare+ you only need to pay $29 for a screen repair and they will do it in the store while you wait.

HTC offers an Uh-Oh protection plan that covers a screen replacement if your HTC One M9 breaks within the first year. This is a free replacement and the new device arrives fast.

Samsung sells a Galaxy S7 warranty and warranty plans for other Samsung phones like AppleCare+ does. If you buy this before the damage happens you are covered.

2. Screen Protector or Tape

If you cannot fix your broken smartphone screen right away, there are some steps you can take to use the iPhone or Android with a broken screen. Assuming only the glass is broken, which means the screen still shows an image and responds to touch, you can use this as a stopgap until you can afford to replace the screen yourself.

Clean the screen as best you can and then place a wide piece of packaging tape over the screen. Trim off any excess tap and you should be able to continue using the phone. This will prevent the crack from growing and parts of the glass from falling off onto your lap or into your finger.

You can also buy a screen protector to place over the broken screen. A glass protector or a good plastic one will at least keep your screen in the current condition.

3. DIY Screen Repair and Replacement

The cheapest way to fix a broken iPhone screen or broken Android screen is to perform a DIY screen replacement.

This is involved, but it is not impossible. You can replace the screen on your iPhone or Android fairly easily using online tutorials. Sometimes you will need to replace the screen and other times you will only need to replace the glass.

iFixit is a great option for learning how to replace a cracked screen yourself. They offer DIY screen replacement guides for many devices.

You can buy a new Android or iPhone screen from iFixit, from eBay, Amazon and other sites. Make sure you do your research so that you get the right screen for your device and that you get a good quality one if you plan to buy one that is not an original replacement (OEM replacement).

Make sure you also buy the tools you need to complete a replacement. Watch a YouTube video and look at the guides before you buy parts to make sure it is something you can complete. Depending on the tools and parts you need, this DIY screen repair could cost you $100 to $250.

4. Out of Warranty Repair

If you are not able to spend the time or you don’t have the expertise needed to repair your cracked iPhone screen or cracked Android screen on your own, there are other options instead of buying a new phone.

Look into the out of warranty repair option for your device. Apple offers an out of warranty iPhone screen repair option that is cheaper than buying the parts and doing it yourself in many cases.

iPhone 5 Out of Warranty Screen Replacement – $129

iPhone 5s/c Out of Warranty Screen Replacement – $129

iPhone 6 Out of Warranty Screen Replacement – $109

iPhone 6 Plus Out of Warranty Screen Replacement – $129

iPhone SE Out of Warranty Screen Replacement – $129

iPhone 6s Out of Warranty Screen Replacement – $129

iPhone 6s Plus Out of Warranty Screen Replacement – $149

iPhone 7 Out of Warranty Screen Replacement – $129

iPhone 7 Plus Out of Warranty Screen Replacement – $149

You will need to contact Samsung, HTC or other manufacturers to get the cost of fixing your broken Android screen out of warranty.

5. Local Repair Shop

If you are not near an Apple Store or don’t want to send your Android phone back to the manufacturer you can look into a local repair shop check out Cell phone repair Colorado Springs . Even in smaller cities there is usually one place doing repairs to broken iPhone screens or Android screens.